Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park | |
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Location | Saint Thomas Middle Island Parish, Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Coordinates | 17°20′49″N 62°50′14″W / 17.34694°N 62.83722°W |
Established | 1987 |
Criteria | Cultural: (iii), (iv) |
Reference | 910 |
Inscription | 1999 (23rd Session) |
Area | 15.37 ha (1,654,000 sq ft) |
Website | www |
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a
The complex of fortifications were constructed on Brimstone Hill, a very steeply sloping hill situated close to the sea on the Western, Caribbean coast of St. Kitts.
Early history
Cannon were first mounted on Brimstone Hill in 1689 during the Nine Years' War, by Jean-Baptiste du Casse, when the French used them to capture the English Fort Charles. The English, under Sir Christopher Codrington, used the same tactic to recapture the fort a year later. From then on, the English used the hill as a fortress, mounting 24-pound cannon, taking advantage of its 972-foot height.[1]
In 1711 and 1731, lightning destroyed the gunpowder magazine. By 1736, the fort had 49 guns. Since 1795, 40 members of "The St. Christopher Corps of Embodied Slaves" served at the fort, armed with pikes and cutlasses.[1]: 77–78, 80
By 1780, the fortress was considered impregnable, "The
French Admiral Édouard Thomas Burgues de Missiessy raided the island and succeeded in blowing up the powder magazine in 1805. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the local militias throughout the Caribbean were disbanded in 1838.[1]: 109 [3]
The fort was abandoned by the British in 1853, and the militia disbanded in 1854.[1]: 120 [2] The structures gradually started to decay through vandalism and natural processes.
20th century
Stabilization and restoration of the remaining structures of the fortress started in the early 1900s. In 1973,
21st century
Areas that can be toured on Brimstone Hill include the Fort George Citadel (which includes the Fort George Museum), the Western Place of Arms and the Eastern Place of Arms, all accessed via a steep walk up from the main parking area via a set of ramps and steps. Other areas include the Magazine Bastion that was breached by the French in 1782, ruins of the Royal Engineers' Quarters, ruins of the Artillery Officers' Quarters, Infantry Officers' Quarters, and the Orillon Bastion.
In 2019, King Charles III was given a tour of the fortress by local historian Leonard Stapleton.[4]
Gallery
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A view of Brimstone Hill from the sea
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Fort George Citadel
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Cannon and the island of Sint Eustatius
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Building at the orientation centre
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Dilapidated bastion
References
- ^ ISBN 9780333747605.
- ^ a b Brimstone Hill Fortress Archived 2013-10-24 at the Wayback Machine. Sean Spurr. Caribbean.org.uk. Accessed 16 Oct 2012.
- ISBN 9781891519055.
- ^ "St Kitts and Nevis is not totally free under King Charles III, says PM". BBC News. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.